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Original poster

I have never baked before - what are your top tips?

63 replies

TrucksAndDinosaurs · 02/04/2013 20:16

I have bought muffin tray, baking sheet, wire cooling rack, baking powder, sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla essence.
And those paper fairy cake things - do you bake the mixture inside them, inside a muffin tray?

Have in cupboard currants, butter, choc drops, easy cook oats, nuts and cheese (cheese scones only thing I've ever baked). Oh, and toddler cookie cutters and rolling pin!

Also have mixing bowl, whisk and scales.
DO NOT have baking sheets (what are they? Will foil do?) and DO NOT have electric blender whisking thing so will be doing it all with spoons, whisk and fingers. In a hot country.

I don't have sweet tooth so never bothered before but now I am mum to toddler feel I ought to attempt it - things he can join in with even better ( he is mad on Peppa Pig whose mother is always baking).

OP posts:
Curioustiger · 03/04/2013 08:20

Sorry then cut into individual cereal bars.

MrsKwazii · 03/04/2013 08:43

Digital scales are fab - mine were only a tenner. Baking is about chemistry, so don't wing it. Follow the recipe and method and you shouldn't go wrong.

And when making cakes, always sieve the flour, makes mixture smoother and gets more air into the mixture Wink

GwendolineMaryLacey · 03/04/2013 08:53

Hand mixer and digital scales are a must. Other than that, I find cakes are pretty forgiving and don't care if you mix them in a washing up bowl (slight exaggeration).

Peacocklady · 03/04/2013 08:56

When you check the cakes towards the end, if the front or back seems browner turn the tray round for the last couple of minutes.

Leave to get completely cold before decorating.

When making icing, use a tiny bit of water at a time, mix throroughly and add a tiny bit more if needed, so it doesn't get too runny.

Original poster
TrucksAndDinosaurs · 04/04/2013 01:49

More great tips! Thanks v much:)
Horry I made the buns and they were great! Put choc drops as well as raisins and although they sank to base it was still very yummy. Bought hand held whisk and wasn't sure how long to mix it for but it seemed to work after a few mins. Only three left after DS, DH and neighbours ate 9!
Ps. The buns rose to top of the paper holder - were they meant to rise above it? I gave them smiley faces and sprinkled and nobody minded

:)

OP posts:
Original poster
TrucksAndDinosaurs · 04/04/2013 01:52

Sat will be making cereal bars.
DH can stop eating Kellogg's crap ones next week...

OP posts:
recall · 04/04/2013 01:54

Might be worth getting a set of measuring cups so that you don't get stumped by American recipes.

nextphase · 04/04/2013 02:51

I know you've now got a mixer, but find a muffin recipe - and mix by hand. They work best undermixed.

Chocolate brownies are also appreciated here - but you need a loaf or square tin an inch or 2 high.

I only use baking parchment / greaseproof paper for lining cake tins - and then when I've run out of butter papers - if you can get paper wrapped 250g butter, it works quite well for cake tins.

I don't grease etc sheets for biscuits - leave them for a few minutes, til they start cooling, and so hardening, and then use a fish slice to move off.

If you start cooking lots, a cooling rack (or the mesh from the grill!) is useful to move cooked biscuits onto, and then let them cool properly.

You say your in a hot country - do you get "proper" chocolate, or is it lower cocoa butter, slightly gritty, hard to melt chocolate? In which case, be careful with chocolate containing recipes!

Flour is also OK is a big screw or clip top jar.

Cereal bars sound good - tiffin is another no cook of you can get plain digestive / rich tea style biscuits.

lisianthus · 04/04/2013 06:28

Yes, do get a set of cup measures and a set of and spoon measures- they are great and will open up a world of non-UK recipes. Also, I see you didn't get bicarb (bicarbonate of soda, or baking soda), just baking powder. Baking powder is bicarb + cream of tartar, so you may need to get bicarb as well for a number of recipes.

A recipe we have been making a lot lately is playdough (not edible, of course!)

1 cup plain flour, half a cup of salt, 1 tablespoon oil, 2 tablespoons cream of tartar (or four tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar), a few drops of food colouring, one cup boiling water.

Mix in a bowl, knead briefly until elastic, allow to cool, hand to toddler.

I like this recipe as if i cooked cakes or biscuits every day as my toddler would like, we'd all be the size of houses, with no teeth.

BankWuggery · 04/04/2013 07:14

Slightly off topic but mu top tip for baking is:
Do not, under any circumstances, post pictures of your creations on your facebook page. Please. (curmudgeon day today)

Tigglette · 04/04/2013 07:55

If you're using a recipe that wants you to cream the butter and sugar, then beat in eggs then mx in flour try alternating adding some egg then some flour until its all added - it'll stop the mixture from curdling and won't affect the overall cake. With biscuits and small cakes, when you can smell them cooking in the room next to the kitchen they're done.

WhoKnowsWhereTheChocolateGoes · 04/04/2013 08:03

Have a look at Delia Online, she has just launched a new school of videos with all the basic techniques, if you've got a tablet you can prop it up

HorryIsUpduffed · 04/04/2013 08:05

Oh I'm so glad they worked - it is a good easy recipe. No, they aren't supposed to rise out of the case but so long as they rose you've done just fine.

Next!

WhoKnowsWhereTheChocolateGoes · 04/04/2013 08:06

Have a look at Delia Online, she has just launched a new school of videos with all the basic techniques, if you've got a tablet you can prop it up in the kitchen to watch as you work.

I'd put flour in freezer not fridge, it's more likely to get damp in the fridge.

WhoKnowsWhereTheChocolateGoes · 04/04/2013 08:08

I highly recommend this book, does exactly what it says on the cover
Muffins Fast and Fantastic.

rubyflipper · 04/04/2013 08:12

I don't know which Hummingbird cookbook you're all raving about but the one I used was hopeless. The quantities of ingredients meant some of the cakes were greasy and refused to rise. Others had too much sugar to the point of being inedible.
I'm good at baking cakes, so it was nothing to do with my technique or oven, before anyone asks!

Toasttoppers · 04/04/2013 08:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HorryIsUpduffed · 04/04/2013 09:16

Interesting ruby. I use the original Hummingbird Bakery book from 2008 ish. I haven't tried all the recipes yet but have had success so far.

For example, I find the chocolate cake (Brooklyn Blackout) richer and darker and less sweet than usual recipes, even before I substitute in coffee instead of milk. In general I find the recipes more moist than standard British recipes so maybe that's what you perceive as greasy.

rubyflipper · 04/04/2013 10:13

I'll try Hummingbird again - but I'm not optimistic ...

Original poster
TrucksAndDinosaurs · 04/04/2013 21:03

I have made cereal bars, except I decided to make them in a silicon muffin tray I found. They will be ready in an hour...I mixed condensed milk (warmed with a bit of almond essence as unsweetened), Scottish oatmeal and dried fruit and crushed pecans. It didn't stick together very well, was more like damp muesli or wet flapjack so we shall see... If it fails I will call it individual granola portions and eat with yoghurt.

Might ask to move thread to Food as shame to lose all the good tips...

OP posts:
HorryIsUpduffed · 04/04/2013 21:19

Flapjack always looks ludicrously crumbly before and during cooking. It only even starts to set as it cools. Scary though.

Curioustiger · 04/04/2013 21:46

I think they'll be ok as mine look like that while cooking. I do find sometimes they can be a bit hard to cut so I break into irregular shapes (at first this annoyed me, now I think they look pleasingly homemade). Hope they taste good!

loveulotslikejellytots · 04/04/2013 21:56

My tip would be to read the recipe twice before starting. Too many times I've got part way through and the recipe says "now leave to cool completely". And I end up trying to rush it and ruin it!

Also when making jam tarts, brush a bit of milk over the jam before they go in the oven. It stops the jam from boiling and coating your oven in a lovely sticky mess!

BertieBotts · 04/04/2013 21:57

Savoury things can be easy and toddler friendly to bake too - try cheese straws or savoury scones.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 04/04/2013 21:59

Wouldn't make pastry in the tropics unless you have air conditioning. It's needs to stay cold til you bung it in the oven.

Muffins are great as you don't have to mix them really well. Also all in one recipes are great so you don't have to worry about curdled eggs, just make sure that for cakes your butter is nice and soft.